LWC Community Welcomes Class of 2016

Posted on Saturday, August 18, 2012 [11:50 PM]

COLUMBIA, Ky. -- Lindsey Wilson College
freshman Colby Allen of Jamestown, Ky., did not stress out about
moving into the college's residence halls on Saturday morning.
Allen waited until Friday night until he started packing for his
room in LWC's Horton Hall.

"I kept a mental list, and I did sit down on Friday night and
write out a list of things I thought I'd need," Allen said.

Allen said his parents, Greg and Dawn, and girlfriend Naomi Galito
of Russell Springs, Ky., helped him put his lists -- both mental
and physical -- into action on Friday night.

"They helped me pack and get everything together," Allen said. "We
were up pretty late working on it."

By 11 a.m. Saturday, Allen had transformed his Horton Hall room
into a fashionable college living space. All it lacked were power
strips and a trash can.

Allen was one of more than 800 students who moved Saturday into
LWC's residence halls. They joined about 300 students who started
moving into campus housing in early August.

LWC officials will not know final enrollment numbers for a several
weeks, but they expect the college to have a record enrollment of
more than 2,700 students in 2012-13. The 2012 fall semester
officially begins Aug. 22.

Officials already know that the college's freshman class is the
most talent in LWC's 109-year history.

"This is the most academically gifted and talented class in this
college's history," LWC President William T. Luckey Jr. said at a Saturday
afternoon welcome ceremony at the Doris and Bob Holloway Health
& Wellness Center. "I look forward to seeing the great things
you will accomplish and shaking your hands four years from now when
you walk across the stage at Biggers Sports Center as members of
the Lindsey Wilson Class of 2016."

Throughout their first week on campus, new residential students
will be involved in numerous team-building and orientation
activities designed to inculcate them to LWC campus life.

Most residential students arrived on campus by 9 a.m. CT Saturday
and were met by LWC faculty, staff and students and community
members who helped them move into their residence-hall rooms. Many
residential students had coordinated how their rooms would be
furnished, such as roommates Ryan Harper and Dustin Nash,
both of Russellville, Ky. Harper and Nash said they started to
discuss their living arrangements about two months ago.

Assisted by their families, the two were unpacked and settled by
mid-morning. In addition to the usual dorm-life furniture and
accessories, the two also unloaded more than a half-dozen
bulk-quantity boxes of snack cakes and candy.

"That will get us through about two weeks," Nash said.

A big reason move-in day went so smoothly was because how various
LWC offices across campus worked together.

"It was a very smooth day," said LWC Dean of Students Chris Schmidt. "Every department and office
did a great job coming together and welcoming our new students to
campus. … I always enjoy the start of a new semester because it
marks a new beginning for everyone -- students, faculty and
staff.

"When I see faculty and staff coming together to help the new
students make this new chapter in their life meaningful, it is
simply impressive. Lindsey Wilson College makes the transition for
students and parents easy and stress-free."

Although moving into residence halls was relatively easy for
students and their families, saying goodbye was not as
painless.

Before Allen of Jamestown came to LWC, his mother, Dawn, cooked
his favorite meal, spaghetti and meatballs, on Friday night.

"She cried at the meal while we were eating," Allen's father,
Greg, said.

But as Dawn Allen explained, the tears were as much about being
excited for her son as they were about seeing her son leave
home.

"I'm very excited about the next leg of his journey in life, but
as a mom you get the right to mourn that and be excited at the same
time," she said.